• The Niobrara National Scenic river comes alive with color in the fall.

    Niobrara

    National Scenic River Nebraska

River Management Planning

It sure helps to have a solid plan before starting a project to improve and protect the value of your home. The same is true for how the National Park Service manages nationally important sites to protect their unique resources and values for all Americans now and for the future.

We need your ideas and input to craft a River Management Plan (RMP) and environmental assessment (EA) for Niobrara National Scenic River (NSR) which will guide management actions to protect the unique geologic, scenic, recreational, fossil, fish and wildlife values as well as the water quality and quantity of river flow on which these values depend.

Please take an active role to protect the nationally unique resources of the river and improve visitor experiences of them by participating in this multi-year public process. Current opportunities are highlighted below.

Planning Schedule:

• Collect Information: Fall 2011
• Public Workshops/Meetings: Spring 2012

Prepare to participate in workgroups developing measures of impacts and management actions to be taken by reading the ORV Workshop Report defining the values to be protected at Niobrara NSR.

Location Date
Valentine NPS Headquarters April 16, 2012
214 W. Hwy 20

Ainsworth Elks Lodge April 17, 2012
111East 3rd

Grand Island Howard Johnson April 18, 2012
3333 Ramada Rd.

Omaha NPS Midwest Offices April 19, 2012
601 Riverfront Dr.

Note: Sign in for meetings begins at 6:30 pm and the
meetings begin at 7:00 pm.

If you are unable to attend these workshops, but want to
provide your specific ideas on the workshop topics addressed:

1) how to measure resource impacts
2) what management actions should be taken to mitigate or reduce resource impacts
3) ways to manage visitor use to better meet visitor needs while protecting river values - e.g. creating "zones" of use along the river and/or at various days/times

Download this Workshop Information & Comment pdf and follow the instructions for submission before the May 31, 2012 deadline for this current portion of the RMP process.

• Draft RMP/EA: Winter 2012/Spring 2013
• Public Review of Draft RMP/EA: Summer 2013
• Public Meetings on Draft RMP/EA: Summer 2013
• Final RMP/EA: Winter 2013/Spring 2014

Did You Know?

Ice cliffs form when groundwater seeps from cliff faces and freezes

During the cold winter months when temperatures drop well below zero degrees F the Niobrara River freezes over in most places. Tall ice cliffs form on river bluffs and attract ice climbers to the Niobrara National Scenic River. More...